Society for Technical Communication Records1956-1996

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Special Collections Research Center Reference Staff.

Call number

MC 00250

Created in the 1950s and originally named the Society of Technical Writers and Publishers, the Society for Technical Communication (STC) is an organization "dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of technical communication" and "improving the quality and effectiveness of technical communication for audiences worldwide." The STC Records document the activities and personnel of this organization at both the national and chapter levels during the years 1956-1996.

Biographical/historical note

The Society for Technical Communication (STC) is an organization "dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of technical communication" and "improving the quality and effectiveness of technical communication for audiences worldwide." STC promotes technical communication to both its members and the public at large, mainly students. It provides its more than 20,000 members with opportunities for career development and networking, including an annual conference (the International Technical Communication Conference, ITCC), a newsletter (Intercom), a job database, and various inter-society competitions. In addition to these membership benefits, STC reaches the general public through a journal (Technical Communication), other publications by the STC Press, grants and scholarships to students and for research, and various public competitions.

STC was created in the 1950s out of the merger of three separate groups. The Society of Technical Writers and the Society of Technical Writers and Editors were both formed on the East Coast in 1953 and merged in 1957 to become the Society of Technical Writers and Editors (STWE). In 1957, this group merged again with the Technical Publishing Society, founded on the West Coast in 1954, to become the Society of Technical Writers and Publishers (STWP). In 1971, the organization changed its name to the Society for Technical Communication, and the title of its journal was changed from STWP Review to Technical Communication.

STC activities take place on a national, regional, and chapter level. There are 8 regions, with 20 local chapters in each one. Each chapter elects their own officials and committee chairs. Much of the focus of the national organization is on encouraging its chapters to increase membership, to publish a newsletter, and to conduct workshops, seminars, scholarships, and contests on the local level following guidelines set out by the various national committees. Each chapter is assigned a Director-Sponsor who is their official liaison to the Executive Council. Many STC members are involved with the organization on both a local and national level.

Currently 400-members strong, the Carolina Chapter, among other activities, produces its own newsletter, Carolina Communique. The chapter was founded as a branch in 1966 by Austin Farrell (with two others) and became a full-fledged chapter in 1967. A long-time member of STC, Farrell began his activities with STWE in 1957, carried on with STWP after the merger and continued his involvement as the organization grew through the 1980s. Before moving to Raleigh, he was a member of and held several key positions in the Mid-Hudson Chapter and co- founded and chaired the national organization's Standards Council. He was the Chapter's first President and held several offices throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Scope/content

The STC Records document the activities and personnel of this organization at both the national and chapter levels during the years 1956-1996. These records relate not only to the organization itself, but also document the development of the technical communications field during these years, including the introduction and growth of "automatic text writing instruments" and computers.

However, the collection primarily reflects those committees and issues with which its major collectors were concerned during the years in which they were active in STC. One of these is Austin Farrell, and because of his involvement with the national Membership Committee and Standards Council in the 1960s and 1970s, the bulk of the national material lies in these committees and time periods. On the chapter level, because of Farrell's development of and membership in the Carolina Chapter, this chapter is more fully represented than others. In addition, two presidents of the chapter during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Joseph Saunders and Judith Hallman, kept most of their files. As a result the Executive Council and the Program Committee are well-documented for these years, including the chapter's relationship with its director-sponsor.

The collection is divided into four series: National Organization, Chapter Files, Publications, and Miscellaneous. While the files themselves are organized in chronological order by year, several series of publications were received by Special Collections in reverse chronological order and were kept in their original order. In addition, several individual documents are duplicated in electronic format, including issues for the 1987-1988 Carolina Communique. These are listed separately in the container listing. Similarly, the few photographs which are included in the collection are noted in the listing.

Custodial history

Donated by Larry Kuns, 1997 (Accession no. 1997-0022).

Physical description

17 boxes

Use of these materials

The nature of the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NCSU Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.

The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Society for Technical Communication Records, MC 00250,
Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

This series documents STC's administration, chapter affairs, recognition awards (and competitions), conferences, professional activities (including the Standards Council), and publications on the national level.

This series contains records from various chapters, the bulk of which is newsletters. However, in addition to the Carolina Communique, the Carolina Chapter is well documented, including quarterly reports to its director-sponsor; its executive council; its nominating, program, membership, recognition awards, and public relations committees; and its professional activities.

Austin

" The Austin Communicator," 1989, 1985

Box 4, Folder 1

Boston

1963

Box 4, Folder 2

"The Boston Broadside," 1984-1985

Box 4, Folder 3

Bowling Green State University Student Chapter

" interchange," 1984-1985

Box 4, Folder 4

Carolina

Quarterly Reports to Director-Sponsor

1973-1982

Box 4, Folder 5

Executive Council

Minutes and Meeting Notes 1968-1989

Box 4, Folder 6

General 1968-1974

Box 4, Folder 7

General 1977-1979

Box 4, Folder 8

General 1980-1981

Box 4, Folder 9

General 1982-1984

Box 4, Folder 10

General 1985-1990

Box 4, Folder 11

General 1990

electronic file

Box 4, Folder 11ee

Nominating Committee

Associate Fellow 1973-1995

Box 4, Folder 12

Fellow 1968-1986

Box 4, Folder 13

Officers 1968-1996

Box 4, Folder 14

Officers 1994-1996

electronic file

Box 4, Folder 14ee

Program Committee

1974-1979

Box 4, Folder 15

1980-1983

Box 4, Folder 16

1984-1987

Box 5, Folder 1

1988

Box 5, Folder 2

1989-1990, n.d.

Box 5, Folder 3

Membership and Mailing Lists

1974-1989, n.d.

Box 5, Folder 4

Recognition Awards

Audiovisual Competition 1980-1982

Box 5, Folder 5

High School Science Writing Competition 1983-1984

Box 5, Folder 6

Online Communications Competition n.d.

Box 5, Folder 7

Technical Art Competition 1973-1990, n.d.

Box 5, Folder 8

Technical Publications Competition 1977-ca.1989

Box 5, Folder 9

Technical Publications Competition 1987-1988

electronic file

Box 5, Folder 9ee

Professional Activities

Education Committee 1977-1995, n.d.

Box 5, Folder 10

Freelance Directory 1985

Box 5, Folder 11

Job Bank Committee n.d.

Box 5, Folder 12

Public Relations and News Releases

1972-1984

(includes photographs)

Box 5, Folder 13

Newsletter

1978-1993, n.d.

Box 5, Folder 14

"Carolina Communique"

Feb. 1969-Sept./Oct. 1974

Box 5, Folder 15

Jan. 1975-Sept. 1977

Box 5, Folder 16

March/April 1978-July 1981

Box 5, Folder 17

Sept. 1981-May 1983

Box 6, Folder 1

Oct./Nov. 1983-Dec. 1985

Box 6, Folder 2

Jan. 1986-Dec. 1987

Box 6, Folder 3

Sept. 1987-Dec. 1987

elecronic file

Box 6, Folder 3ee

Jan. 1988-April 1989

Box 6, Folder 4

Jan. 1988-April 1988

elecronic file

Box 6, Folder 4ee

Sept. 1989-1992, 1994

Box 6, Folder 5

Columbia River Student Chapter

"Current," 1989

Box 6, Folder 6

Delaware Valley

"News & Views," 1990

Box 6, Folder 7

East Tennessse

1982-1983

Box 6, Folder 8

James River

1990

Box 6, Folder 9

Metrolina

"The Front Page," 1988

Box 6, Folder 10

Metro Baltimore

"chesapeake bayline," 1988-1989

Box 6, Folder 11

Mid-Hudson

1960-1965

Box 6, Folder 12

"The Data Link," July 1960-Sept. 1962

Box 6, Folder 13

Monterey Bay

"Monterey Bay Communique," 1987-1988

Box 6, Folder 14

Montreal Chapter

"Communique Montreal," 1989-1990

Box 6, Folder 15

New York

1968

Box 6, Folder 16

Niagra Frontier

1989

Box 6, Folder 17

"HYPERchat," 1989-1990

Box 6, Folder 18

Northern New England

"The Nor'easter," 1988-1989

Box 6, Folder 19

Orange County

"Techniscribe," 1983-1984

Box 6, Folder 20

Phoenix

"The Rough Draft," 1984

Box 6, Folder 21

Piedmont

"Piedmonitor," 1988-1990

Box 6, Folder 22

Puget Sound

"Sound Off," 1982

Box 6, Folder 23

Quad Cities

"The Bridge," 1983-1985

Box 6, Folder 24

Rock Valley

"Rendezvous," 1989

Box 6, Folder 25

Sacramento

"Capital Currents," 1990

Box 6, Folder 26

San Francisco

"Active Voice," 1988-1989

Box 6, Folder 27

Sierra-Panamint

"Petroglyph," 1987-1989

Box 6, Folder 28

West Virginia

"Technically Speaking," 1989

Box 6, Folder 29

Miscellaneous Newsletters

1988-1990, n.d.

Box 6, Folder 30

Publications (MC 00250 Series 3)

This series is comprised of a variety of national publications, many from the early years of STC (1950s and 1960s), including newsletters and journals.

"TWE Journal"

1956-1957

Box 7, Folder 1

STWP " Bulletin/Newsletter"

1965-1967

Box 7, Folder 2

1956-1962

Box 7, Folder 3

"Intercom"

April 1995-Jan. 1995

Box 7, Folder 4

1994

Box 7, Folder 5

1993-1992

Box 7, Folder 6

1991-1990

Box 7, Folder 7

1989

Box 7, Folder 8

1988

Box 8, Folder 1

1987

Box 8, Folder 2

1986

Box 8, Folder 3

1985-1983

Box 8, Folder 4

1982-1978

Box 8, Folder 5

1977-1963

Box 8, Folder 6

"Independent Perspective"

1993-1995

Box 8, Folder 7

"Oyez!Oyez!"

1967

Box 8, Folder 8

"Tieline"

Feb. 1988-June/July 1989

Box 8, Folder 9

March 1985-Feb. 1982

Box 8, Folder 10

Dec. 1981/Jan. 1982-May 1979; April 1976-Oct. 1975

Box 8, Folder 11

"STWP Review"

April 1962-Oct. 1966

Box 9

"Technical Communications"

First Quarter 1967-Fourth Quarter 1970

Box 9

Jan./Feb. 1971-May/June 1971

Box 10

"Technical Communication"

Third Quarter 1971-Fourth Quarter 1983

Box 10

First Quarter 1984-Fourth Quarter 1990

Box 11

First Quarter 1991-Fourth Quarter 1993

Box 12

Proceedings

Society of Technical Writers and Editors, "Proceedings of Seventh Annual National Convention," April 21-22, 1960

This series contains journal and newspaper articles, conference brochures, various advertisements, NCSU information, and publications including technical writing manuals, newsletters, and pamphlets that are unrelated to STC but document the field of technical communication during the 1960s-1970s.

Advertisements [c. 1960s-1980s]

Box 19, Folder 1

Class materials 1982

Box 19, Folder 2

Conferences and workshops (includes 1 survey) 1966-1989

Box 19, Folder 3

INTECOM (International Council for Technical Communication) 1974

Box 19, Folder 4

Journal articles 1961-1992, n.d.

Box 19, Folder 5

NCSU Technical Communication program, [c. 1980s]

Box 19, Folder 6

Newspaper articles and announcements 1958-1975, n.d.

Box 19, Folder 7

Publications, including Metric Reporter, and IBM The World of Information Recording, 1974 [1978]

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Society for Technical Communication Records, MC 00250,
Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Use of these materials

The nature of the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NCSU Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.

The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.